Take Control of Your Pain

Take Control Of Your Pain is a patient-education days for pain warriors and care champions to learn tools to empower them to take control of their personal pain and medical journeys.

Understanding these Educational & Empowering Events

Take Control of Your Pain is the namesake for all U.S. Pain patient-education days and summits. Geared toward care champions (caregivers) and those individuals enduring pain, the day focuses on obtaining knowledge, meeting others, sharing feelings and gaining relief and hope.

Take Control of Your Pain is not only educational, but also empowering. It is a unique opportunity to be in a room with others who fully understand the struggles and fears as well as the strength it takes to move forward another day. There is a connection that unites us all together.

The day includes engaging speakers, time to connect with individuals enduring similar experiences and the ability to meet organizations and groups dedicated to making a difference for the pain community.

Take Control Of Your Pain is an inspiring day of feeling recognized and understood while also becoming better educated on treatments available, advocacy efforts and obtaining support.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Check back here for new dates!!

PAST EVENTS

Harrison, NY |April 2, 2017

U.S. Pain Foundation was honored to partner with The New York Pain Society to offer a Take Control of Your Pain day.

Harrison, NY |April 3, 2016

U.S. Pain Foundation was honored to partner with The New York Pain Society to offer a Take Control of Your Pain day. Speakers included:

U.S. Pain Foundation was honored to collaborate with the American Academy of Pain Medicine at their annual meeting on a Take Control Of Your Pain day. Held at the Renaissance Palm Springs, attendees became better educated regarding treatment options, how to utilize their voice to become proactive and connecting with local support. This was also our first LiveStream event! Speakers included:

Dr. Lynn Webster – “The Painful Truth”

Dr. Beth Hogans – Take Back Your Back

Dr. Albert Ray – The Need for Integrative Therapies

Paul Gileno – Founder of U.S. Pain Foundation, sharing the history of the organization and the reason why all people with pain matter

Dr. Hazmer Cassim – The Past, Present and Future of Pain Medicine

Los Angeles, CA |October 16, 2015

U.S. Pain Foundation was excited to collaborate with USC Pain Center and Quench The Fire on a Take Control Of Your Pain day. Held at the USC Soto Building, attendees became better educated regarding treatments, how to utilize their voice with advocacy efforts and connecting with local support. Speakers included:

Steven Richeimer – renowned pain specialist and director of The USC Pain Center will share an overview of neuropathic pain

Randy Blancq – founder of Quench The Fire shared more about the organizations history and purpose

Pamela Merriam, Nurse Practitioner at Kreck Medical Center of USC discussing the role of NP in pain management setting and expectations of patients when seeing providers

Michelle Sexton – Medical Research Director at the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy discussing medicinal marijuana and pain management

Patient and advocate, Radene Marie Cook who gave a “Patient Perspective”

Washington, D.C. | March 19, 2015

Working in collaboration with the American Academy of Pain Medicine, U.S. Pain Foundation hosted Take Control Of Your Pain on March 19th at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Well-known medical professionals spoke on various topics including integrative pain management, safe opioid use and migraine headaches. Speakers included:

Trip Buckenmaier III, MD – Integrative Pain Management

Lynn Webster, MD – Safer Use of Opioids

Gwenn Herman, LCSW-C, DCSW – Led Meditation

Zahid Bajwa, MD – Migraine Headache

Patient Story – Casey Cashman

Phoenix, AZ | March 9, 2014

On March 9, U.S. Pain, in cooperation with the American Academy of Pain Medicine, hosted a Take Control Of Your Pain day at the Phoenix Convention Center. The presenters were engaging, honest and highly informative. With some of the most recognized, respected names in the pain field speaking, each of them was there for one reason: to inform and provide hope. They were truly concerned with our care. Dr. Charles Argoff started the day. Dr. Argoff is professor of neurology at Albany Medical College and director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Albany Medical Center in New York. He co-authored the book, “Defeat Chronic Pain Now.” His presentation was entitled: Why Do I Hurt Everywhere? New Insights Regarding Widespread Pain. Following him was Dr. Steven Stanos, Director of Corporate Pain Services of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and attending physician of the Center for Pain Management at the RIC. He was awarded a Mayday Pain and Advocacy Fellowship in 2013. Additionally, Dr. Stanos is on the editorial board of Pain Medicine and Pain News. His talk focused on: Becoming Proactive: How to Become the Active Participant of Your Own Health Management Team. Michaela O’Connor gave the patient perspective, sharing her journey with Trigeminal Neuralgia as well as her dreams and goals for the future, and her ability to move forward. As a 2013 Invisible Project participant, she has overcome obstacle after obstacle with grace, determination and one heck of a fighting spirit. Dr. Trip Buckenmaier is the current Director of the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management as well as Fellowship Director of the Acute Pain Medicine and Regional Anesthesia program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC. In September 2003, he deployed with the 21st Combat Support Hospital to Balad, Iraq, performing the first successful continuous peripheral nerve block for pain management in a combat support hospital. In April 2009, he deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan with the British military and ran the first acute pain service in a theatre of war. He passionately spoke about: The Army Pain Management Task Force and Integrative Medicine. The final presenter was Dr. Lynn Webster. Dr. Lynn Webster. Dr. Webster is the past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) who dedicates his time to support the AAPM Foundation. His talk tackled the highly debated topic of opioids – Opioids: The Good, Bad and Ugly. A common message in each presentation was we, the patient, must demand change. We need to recognize that our voices hold power, and that for us to receive the care we deserve, we must become part of the solution. It is up to the 100 million Americans living with pain to rally together. We have to advocate for patient rights, more funding and improved healthcare; and it is going to take all of us working together to obtain proper pain care. The support of the local community was also present. The Pain Center of Arizona, Arizona Pain Specialists, Freedom Pain Hospital, The Empowered Patient Coalition, Know Your Dose Campaign, Mac Stein, Power of Pain Foundation and EastWest Pain Solutions came because they passionately wanted to help. They distributed materials and talked with patients. Each table offered different resources, suggestions – and therefore – hope. Finally, and most importantly, you, the pain warrior, came. U.S. Pain knows how hard it is to come to events when dealing with pain, so we applaud those who attended and encourage you to utilize the information gained and the connections made to become even more proactive and empowered. PHOTOS FROM EVENT >>

On October 25, U.S. Pain hosted a Take Control Of Your Pain day at the beautiful Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, CA. In various areas of the room, there were materials from U.S. Pain and other organizations committed to helping the pain community. Some of the groups involved included the Empowered Patient Coalition, PainPathways magazine, Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center, Rooms that Rock 4 Chemo, the Coalition Against Pediatric Pain and the RSDSA. Additionally, the Invisible Project and the artwork of Radene Marie Cook were displayed. The presenters were engaging and genuinely invested in the topic of pain. Here are some of the highlights and messages from each talk. Dr. Peter Abaci began the day. Dr. Abaci is a widely respected expert on chronic pain management and author of “Take Charge of Your Chronic Pain.” He is co-founder of Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center, creator of Pain Relief Revolution and hosts a weekly radio show, Health Revolution Radio, on iHeart Radio. His mission in life is to help transform the way medicine treats pain while restoring hope for healing and optimum long-term health. He spoke about pain, its affect on the brain and explained the functional restoration program. Otherwise known as an FRP, this program is a comprehensive approach to help empower an individual to overcome, or move past, pain and disability. The process occurs in stages. Initially, an individual begins as a “patient.” In time, this same patient finds tools that empower him or her to feel more like a “student.” Finally, that same individual recognizes he or she is a “person,” all the while using positive therapies that aid in physical relief. Second on the podium was Kaitlyn Pintor, a transitional life coach and leadership trainer. Kaitlyn encouraged us to listen with an open-mind, using the analogy of trying on a sweater in a department store changing room. She asked us to see what fit: what felt right and comfortable for us. Were there areas in our life that could be further examined? What did we know to be true? What did we know we did not know? Furthermore, what did we not know we did not know? The talk was enlightening and inviting. Nothing was being pushed upon us, but rather shared so we could decide what personally was holding us back in our lives. The next speaker was Jen Pleimann. Jen is health and wellness coach with a goal: to fix the uncoordinated care of providers, simplify the everyday caregiving duties and improve the everyday health of individuals with chronic medical conditions. She began speaking about Vidapost, a platform she created to advance every day wellness and help those with chronic conditions. Vidapost in an online place to bring each of your providers together – be it doctors, specialists, therapists, acupuncturists, trainers, chiropractors, etc. – to share needed information with one another in order for me to obtain optimum health. The other part of her talk focused on the acronym for the word “action.” She encouraged us to take action to improve our every day wellness while also stressing the need to celebrate the baby steps – to be happy if we just complete one of the six actions below in a day. Taking A.C.T.I.O.N is not to make us feel worse about ourselves, but rather, to empower us to recognize our personal worth, potential and strength. I think this will soon be going above my desk.

A = Awareness & Acceptance

C = Confidence

T = Training & Movement

I = Independence

O = Opportunity

N = Nutrition

The day ended with two moving, hair-raising talks from Nicole Spink and Radene Marie Cook. Both are Invisible Project participants, and pain warriors, who shared their personal journeys dealing with pain, and where they are today health-wise and mentally. PHOTOS FROM EVENT >>

ABOUT US
U.S. Pain Foundation is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving those who live with pain conditions and their care providers. We are here to help individuals find resources and inspiration.